If going to the bathroom is waking you up through the night, then something’s not right.
If you’ve gone through menopause, waking up once a night is considered normal. If you’re going 2-3 times a night (or more), it’s not. And if you haven’t gone through menopause yet, then night waking to pee just shouldn’t be. Your bladder can disrupt the restorative sleep we all so desperately need, as it plays a vital role in our physical and mental functioning.
Sleep quality and quantity are important. We want 7-9 hours of full-spectrum sleep, defined as five sleep stages, with deep wave sleep being most important for all aspects of health and function. Getting into bed too late or night waking of any kind is disruptive.
You’ll know if your sleep was restorative when you wake up feeling rested and refreshed. On the other hand, disrupted sleep can be caused in part by feeling like you need to use that washroom through the night.
When this occurs frequently throughout the night, it’s referred to as nocturia and it can impact your quality of life, not to mention health and productivity. The good news is, it can be corrected.
Dr Sinéad Dufour, the guru of pelvic health physio in Canada, and part of the healthcare professional team at UROSPOT™, encourages women and men to ensure their pelvic floor muscles are as healthy as possible.
Here are 6 key tips from Dr. Dufour:
- Stay hydrated – sip fluids throughout the day vs. chugging a lot at once.
- Start each day with a glass of water and a walk outdoors – morning light is key for optimal sleep patterns!
- Decrease or eliminate fluids approximately 2 hours before bedtime.
- Elevate your feet above your heart when you lie down for half an hour in the evening and then void before bed (this will help your vascular system drain fluid before bed).
- Limit blue light exposure 2 hours before bed and aim for 10pm bed time!
- Review your list of medications with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure they aren’t acting as diuretics.
